Quirky Quote (and a personal note)

"I do think New Year's resolution can't technically be expected to begin on New Year's Day, don't you? Since, because it's an extension of the New Year's Eve, smokers are already on a smoking roll and cannot be expected to stop abruptly on the stroke of midnight with so much nicotine in the system. Also dieting on New Year's Day isn't a good idea as you can't eat rationally but really need to be free to consume whatever is necessary, moment by moment, in order to ease your hangover. I think it would be much more sensible if resolutions began generally on January the second."

--Helen Fielding

*note: While I don't have to deal with the nicotine and hangover, I always start resolutions on the 2nd. The first is my anniversary, and there's no way I'm not celebrating! Today was our 30th anniversary!

Food for Thought

" The object of a New Year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul and a new nose; new feet, a new backbone, new ears, and new eyes. Unless a particular man made New Year resolutions, he would make no resolutions. Unless a man starts afresh about things, he will certainly do nothing effective."

--G.K. Chesterton

The End of Another Year and Beginning of Another

Well, here we are at the end of another year. It's been a very full year with a lot happening. We have seen some devastating things in the world, but we've also seen hope. We've seen man's inhumanity to man, and we've seen people reach out and make a difference. And like every year, we've seen personal disappointments and setbacks mixed with happy occasions and moments of great joy.

What lies ahead is anybody's guess. We live in uncertain times, but with a God we can always count on. What will happen to the economy? What will happen politically? What tragedies and cataclysms are ahead? I have no idea. The good news is that I know Someone who knows all of those things, and He's not worried. He tells us to be anxious for nothing. Not the economy, or politics, or global unrest. Nothing. Because He has it all covered.

So, for the year ahead, I wish you and yours, peace, above all things. May you have a year filled with blessing and joy and grace and love. May you be healthy and well provided for. May you and yours have a healthy and productive year ahead. May you have great vision to carry you into the future. Above all, may the peace of God invade your home and your life, regardless of what's happening in the world, the country or your own backyard.

Be blessed and have a very Happy New Year!

Brand New Year, Brand New Me

It's that time of year again, when thoughts turn to the changes we would like to make in our lives and ourselves. I'm not a big fan of New Year's resolutions, which are as easily broken as they are made, but I am a big fan of goal-setting. One of the areas I particularly want to address in the coming year is Me. I have changes I want to make in both my physical appearance and overall health.

1. Weight
Some of my excess baggage has got to go and what's left needs to be less jiggly. My new exercise plan starts Monday.

I am not good as putting my life on hold to follow a diet. Therefore, I am invoking diet days. When it's easy and nothing conflicts, I will eat broiled chicken and salad and other healthy stuff. On other days, I will watch portions and try to make better choices, so eating better becomes less of a diet and more of my normal life.

More fruits and veggies, less sugary stuff. I've come to terms with the fact that I'm not going to give up cookies and chocolate, but I could eat less of both, enjoy what I do eat more, and eat healthier stuff in between.

2. Healthy habits
Why is it so hard to do the things we know we ought to do? I am so bad about remembering to take my vitamins. That needs to change. The vitamins are being put in a more obvious location so I'll see them.

I also know I need to drink less sweet tea and soda pop and more water and green tea with lemon. I'm going to start off drinking green tea and water. If I have consumed my daily quota of water and 3-4 cups of green tea (doing one month on and one month off), only then will I have something else like sweet tea or soda. With few exceptions. :)

Skin care products are of no benefit if you don't actually use them. The hit-or-miss use of moisturizer isn't cutting it. It's time to establish a routine and stick with it.

3. Appearance
I have too much of that "let-herself-go" look about me. I've been weeding out my wardrobe some, but it's time to get serious. I need to have a handful of go-to outfits to put on when I'm leaving the house. I have a couple of basic items that need to be added as well.

The layer underneath is important too, and not just to dh. The stretched out underwear and bras aren't pulling their weight. It's time to call in the replacements.

I also need to weed out my makeup. Some of it is ready for the girls' play makeup bag. I need to figure out the gaps and fill them and then streamline my routine.

I think a round of teeth-whitening is in order.

Something will be done with the hair. I'm not sure exactly what I want to do with it, but it seems to just be hanging there most of the time. A good cut and a styling product or two probably wouldn't hurt.

4. Accountability
This is the hardest one for me. I'm hanging it all out here on my blog so all of you can hold me accountable. I plan to post updates periodically and let you all know how I'm doing, but if you don't see anything for a while, feel free to ask. I need all the help I can get.

So how about you? What are you doing to improve your well-being and/or appearance in 2011?